Fire escape and water tower combined



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet '1.

G. A. LIEB.

FIRE ESCAPE AND WATER TOWBR'GOMBINED.

No.316,3'75. v a I 1' Patented A rgm, 1885.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. A. LIEB.

FIREESGAPE AND WATER TOWER COMBINED.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 21, 1885 N ml. .N n I s y m 1 M v \NU NITED" STATES PATENT"OFFI E.

CHARLES A. LIEB, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE AND WATER-TOWER COMBINED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 316,375, dated April21, 1885.

Application filed February 28, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LIEB, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York,

' of a hydraulic ram. The water for operattube of the ram.

ing the rain is forced through a pipe or hose connected with theplatform of the tower, and is conducted through a valve into thelifting- One of the sides of the valvechamber is provided with anopening that connects with a discharge pipe or nozzle for throw ingwater onto a fire from the top of the platform. The platform can berotated to face in any direction by means of gearing operated from theplatform. The apparatus is mounted on wheels whose axles are secured toa suitable wagon frame or body, so that the apparatus can be drawn likeany conveyance to the place where it is to be used. It is essential thatthe apparatus stand level when in use, and in or-.

der to obtain this position when the surface of Y the street or placewhere it is to be used is not level I provide feet, which in thisexample are four in number, and which extend downward from swinging armsthat turn on corners of the wagon-body. These feet contain slidingtubes, each of which is forced downward through suitable guides by theagency of water forced into them in the manner of a hydraulic ram, thequantity of water forced into each being regulated automatically bymeans of a leveling device which is connected with the feet by pipesrunning along the swinging arms. The several pipes lead from separatevalve-passages in the chamber of the leveling device, the valves beingopened by the oscillations of the device when the apparatus is notlevel, so as to allow the water to pass into the appropriate pipes andcause the feet connected therewith to be extended, so as to bring theapparatus to the proper level. In this manner the water, acting on thetubes of the feet after the manner of a hydraulic ram, is made to bringthe wagon-body to a true level through the agency of the automaticleveling device.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of my improvement. Fig. 2is a section in the line mm, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of theplatform. Fig. 4. is a horizontal section through the leveling device inthe line y 1 Fig. 5, the observer being supposed to look upward in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the levelingdevice.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The letter A designates the tower-platform.

It is extensible, being composed of divisions that can slide upon eachother, as indicated in Fig. 3. In Fig. 1 it is shown in cross-section.

The platform turns on a pivot, 12, projecting ent directions, the shaftof the pinion being provided with a hand-wheel, E, for that purpose.

The top of the tube B is closed by the disk 0, on which is secured thevalve F, through which the water is supplied to the lifting-tube I B.The chamber of valve F is provided with an opening and hose or pipe, G,which may be used against a fire from the top of the platform, and whichmay be closed by the stopcock H.

The water to be used in connection with the apparatus is suppliedthrough a pipe or hose, J, which connects with a fire-engine or otherforce-pump, and when the valve F is opened by turning the hand-wheel I(the stop-cock H being closed) the water is forced through valve F intothe lifting-tube B. The watertube B slides in the water-tube B, and thebottom of the latter is secured to the bottom plate, f.

From. the bottom of the fixed water-tube B and through the plate f apipe, K, extends,

which pipe supplies the water to the device Ice ample of my inventionconsists of a pendulumvalve and chamber. The pipe K extends to theleveling device, and is provided with a two-way cock, L, situated at thelowest part of the pipe, one of its ways permitting the water to beforced onward toward theleveling device, and the other discharging thewater to the ground from the pipe K and from the tubes B and B. The pipeK, between the two-way cock and the leveling device, is provided with astop-cock, M, which is closed when the apparatus has been brought to ahorizontal position. The water which is forced through the tubes B B andpipe K is conducted by the latter into the waterway N of thevalve-chamber O of the leveling device, which is provided with valves1?, that close valvepassages R, communicating between the water- 7 way Nand a series of pipes, S, leading from being forced downward and outwardby the pressure of the water acting upon it on the principle of thehydraulic ram. This action takes place with the feetV of that part ofthe wagon body or structure which is lower than the other parts, becausethe position which will be taken by the pendulum under thesecircumstances will open that one or those of thevalves P which areconnected with the lowest feet, and will keep the same open until eachfoot becomes extended to the ground, and by the extension of its tuberaises its part or corner of the wagon-body to the proper level, so thatthe pendulum reaches a vertical position with reference to thewagon-body and the chamber 0.

The tubes ofthe feet V may be made pointed at their lower ends, so asnot to slip on the ground, and near their extremities they are providedwith discharge-cocks W, by which the water in the tubes and in the pipesS may be discharged when the apparatus is taken out ,of action.

, The pendulum Y swings from a ball-andsocket joint, Z, arranged in thecentral upper part of its valve-chamber, and the pendulumrod has on itan enlargement, a, where it passes through the valve-chamber, againstwhich the inner ends of the valve-stems of the valves P rest,-being heldagainst it by the pressure of the water in the annular water-way Nagainst the'valves; 'It follows from this construction that the swing'of the pendulum, or rather the departure of the valve-chamber 0 from atrue horizontal position, will cause one or more of the valves to beopened and the water to be forced through the corresponding pipes, S,and into the tubes of the corresponding feet, when the inner tubes willbe forced out by the pressure, of the water.

All the valves P can be opened, when desired',-by screwing'up theconical sleeve 1), which surrounds the enlargement a of thependulum-rod, so as to force it up between The water-tubes B B arecombined with tubes B B in the manner shown in Fig. 1.

The outer tube, B is secured to the frame of the wagon or structure by aring, e, or other suitable means, and its lower end is fixed to theplate f, which also carries the fixed watertube'B. iThe outer tube, B,serves as a guide to the tube Bi, which, like the lifting-tube B, issecured to the toothed disk 0.

The passage-way of the valve F, through which water is forced into thetube B, is pro- I vided at its lower end with a check-valve, g.

In arranging the apparatus for use the stopcock H of the hose-pipe G isclosed, and the valve F isopened, so as to cause the water to enter thetube B and to pass into pipe K, the stop-cock M being opened and thetwo-way the water in the tube B is retained, and the elevation of thetube and tower maintained by means of the check-valve g, which preventsthe escape of the water, and consequent low ering of the platform. Inorder, now, to use the stream of water forced through the hose I againstthe fire, the stop-cock H is opened and the water allowed to pass intothe pipe G, the platform being turned in the proper direction byoperating the pinion D. Y

The extensible platform is made with divisions 1 2 3 4, which slide uponeach other, so that the platform can be extended to an equal extent inboth directions from the toothed disk 0 as a center. as only partlyextended. This capacity of the platform for extension increases itsusefulness, as it enables the firemen to be at a safe distance from afierce fire, and yet to be at the cock turned in the proper direction toconduct has been reached, the valve F is closed, and

The division 4 is here shown proper elevation for efiicient work. The aI When it is desired to lower the platform,

the two-way cock L is opened, so as to permit the water in the tube B toescape, thereby causing the platform to fall gradually as the water isallowed to escape.

It is evident that the apparatus can be used also as a fire-escape byelevating the tower at 5 the'place of peril and receiving'upontheplatform those who are in danger.

The swinging arms are arranged so as to lie close against the sides ofthe wagon when the latter is in motion, and when they are used forbringing the wagon to a level condition they are swung out to suchpositions as will secure the requisite stability.

In practice the tube B will be of less diameter in comparison with theother tubes than I is here shown.

I do not wish to limit myself in the number of the tubes to be usedeither for lifting the platform or for placing the wagon in a levelposition, as there may be several series of tubes sliding on each otherin the manner commonly employed in the telescopic arrangement of tubes.

Other automatic devices acting by gravity can be employed instead of thependulumvalve here shown for leveling the apparatus without departingfrom my invention, which, in this feature of it, includes the use ofgravity in connection with the valves and pipes of the levelingapparatus for securing automatically the leveling of the wagon orstructure at the place where it is to be used.

I do not confine myself to the use of a column of water in carrying outmy invention, as any liquid or fluid under pressure can be employed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a wagon-frame or other structure, of theautomatic leveling device above described and the feet V, constructedand arranged so as to be extended by the pressure of a column of wateron the principle of the hydraulic ram, substantially as above described.

2. The combination of the automatic levelthe hose-pipe G, and theplatform A, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the tubes B B, arranged to be moved one upon theother by fluid-pressure, the platform A, the valve F, the supply-pipe J,the pipe K, connecting with the tubes, the automatic leveling device,substantially as described, the feet V, and the wagon frame orstructure, essentially as set forth.

5. The combination of the valve-chamber O, the valve P, the sleeve b,for opening the valves, and the pendulum Y, with the wagon frame orstructure, the sliding feet V, and pipes connecting the valve-chamberwith the feet for leveling the wagon frame or structure, substantiallyas described.

6. The sleeve 7), in combination with the pendulum Y and the valves P ofthe pendulumvalve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set hand and seal in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES A. LIEB. [a s.]

